Need advice on digital cameras

The Rock

Obviously it's good to have a camera with higher megapixels, but is it better to have high mps combined with higher optical zoom or higher digital zoom?

I'm looking at some cameras that have 10 megapixels and 3 to 5 x optical zoom. is that good?

it's not for professional use, just never had a digital camera and would like one for taking random photos on nights out or other occasions.

chime

I'm about as far from being an expert as you can get ... but optical zoom is better than digital zoom I believe

vduboise

The Canon PowerShot it pretty good. I've had several and enjoyed every one. They even came out with a underwater one this year. If you live near a camera place- like B and H, then you can really check out the different options out there

SPEEDY MCCREADY

The Rock wrote:

Obviously it's good to have a camera with higher megapixels, but is it better to have high mps combined with higher optical zoom or higher digital zoom?

I'm looking at some cameras that have 10 megapixels and 3 to 5 x optical zoom. is that good?

it's not for professional use, just never had a digital camera and would like one for taking random photos on nights out or other occasions.

There is a guy on this board.....Solat13

Whatever camera he has.....

Buy it....

The Rock

SPEEDY MCCREADY wrote:

The Rock wrote:

Obviously it's good to have a camera with higher megapixels, but is it better to have high mps combined with higher optical zoom or higher digital zoom?

I'm looking at some cameras that have 10 megapixels and 3 to 5 x optical zoom. is that good?

it's not for professional use, just never had a digital camera and would like one for taking random photos on nights out or other occasions.

There is a guy on this board.....Solat13

Whatever camera he has.....

Buy it....

lol, thanks. I'll find him...

SPEEDY MCCREADY

The Rock wrote:

SPEEDY MCCREADY wrote:

The Rock wrote:

Obviously it's good to have a camera with higher megapixels, but is it better to have high mps combined with higher optical zoom or higher digital zoom?

I'm looking at some cameras that have 10 megapixels and 3 to 5 x optical zoom. is that good?

it's not for professional use, just never had a digital camera and would like one for taking random photos on nights out or other occasions.

There is a guy on this board.....Solat13

Whatever camera he has.....

Buy it....

lol, thanks. I'll find him...

I am serious...

The pictures and videos he took in Chicago, were just incredible.

The Rock

Just looking for something to take fun snaps with, nothing expensive!

pearljgirl2010

i have a Panasonic Lumix 10x optical and i'm in love with it.

Solat13

SPEEDY MCCREADY wrote:

The Rock wrote:

Obviously it's good to have a camera with higher megapixels, but is it better to have high mps combined with higher optical zoom or higher digital zoom?

I'm looking at some cameras that have 10 megapixels and 3 to 5 x optical zoom. is that good?

it's not for professional use, just never had a digital camera and would like one for taking random photos on nights out or other occasions.

There is a guy on this board.....Solat13

Whatever camera he has.....

Buy it....

Thanks for the plug.

The camera I have is a Fuji Finepix S2000hd.

Who Princess

While we're talking cameras, I need some advice too!

I have a little Sony Cyber-shot. It's easy to use and it takes OK pictures (I'm no pro). But I swear, it seems like I have to charge the batteries ALL THE TIME! Is this a typical problem with digital cameras? Seems like I can't take pictures for more than about 30 minutes and the batteries start to run down. My husband says that the more it's used, the longer the batteries will last, which makes no sense to me. But even if I used it every day for an hour, I think I'd have to charge the batteries overnight. It makes me crazy. :shock:

Bubba

I have an Olympus 590UZ, love it.....check out my site, www.bubba.smugmug.com. Actually on that site, the only pics taken with the 590 are the one under the Vacation folder, Outer Banks 2009. It's 12MPS, 26X optical zoom, and 5x digital zoom.

vedder_soup

pearljgirl2010 wrote:

i have a Panasonic Lumix 10x optical and i'm in love with it.

+1

digital zoom takes away from the picture quality, so go for the higher optical zoom.
the luimx is great in low light, without flash as well. good for gig photos



this was from the front row of the 200's about halfway down the floor at MSG - some distance from the stage
no flash

aNiMaL

When I bought my camera a couple years ago I went through the same thing.

I ended up with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-L27. 7.2 mega pixels and 6X optical zoom and up to 9X digital zoom. It was the 6X optical zoom and the price that sealed the deal. Love the camera, it takes great pictures. I just maybe wish it were a little less bulky.

gb63

I got the Cannon Power Shot 10 ?as a birthday present, It's water,shook,and freeze proof, can go down under water and take pics 10 or 20 feet.
if you get sand all over it you just dip it into the water way cool, A little (bulbous) as in not flat
takes a great pic.

dcfaithful

vduboise wrote:

The Canon PowerShot it pretty good. I've had several and enjoyed every one. They even came out with a underwater one this year. If you live near a camera place- like B and H, then you can really check out the different options out there

As far as point and shoots go, I like this too. My girlfriend has a Canon Powershot (digital point and shoot) and I have a Canon Digital Rebel xTi (SLR - the kind of camera with detachable lenses). The Powershot takes photographs that are comparable to that of my SLR.

decides2dream

vedder_soup wrote:

pearljgirl2010 wrote:

i have a Panasonic Lumix 10x optical and i'm in love with it.

+1

digital zoom takes away from the picture quality, so go for the higher optical zoom.
the luimx is great in low light, without flash as well. good for gig photos



this was from the front row of the 200's about halfway down the floor at MSG - some distance from the stage
no flash

yep...i remember!
and since seeing your pics and discussing cameras, we've bought the same camera and LOVE it.

i had, actually still have it, a sony cybershot. that is an excellent camera as well. it really is the quality lenses that make all the difference, and intuitive features. the panasonic is by far the best point and shoot we've ever owned, and i think we've had at least 5 by now. the sony was my fave up until the lumix. i always read how many are fans of the canon powershot, maybe it's simply b/c we had an earlier model...but i really disliked that camera. i thought the lens was shit, was never happy with the quality of the images. with my sony and now the lumix, one would be hard pressed to distinguish the images from those with an SLR.

whoprincess as far as your battery issues that does seem to occur, in time. your husband is also right. tis the same with most batteries. they need to be used, depleted, recharged. think of it like your body - does it stay in top shape if you rarely use it? or does it improve, stay fit...thru activity? tis the same principle. i too did find with age the sony battery had the same issues as yours. it's also the one digital camera i had/used the longest. in fact, i've owned 2 of the exact same model i loved it so much. however....the lumix i adore now!

Who Princess

decides2dream wrote:

whoprincess as far as your battery issues that does seem to occur, in time. your husband is also right. tis the same with most batteries. they need to be used, depleted, recharged. think of it like your body - does it stay in top shape if you rarely use it? or does it improve, stay fit...thru activity? tis the same principle. i too did find with age the sony battery had the same issues as yours. it's also the one digital camera i had/used the longest. in fact, i've owned 2 of the exact same model i loved it so much. however....the lumix i adore now!

Thanks for the feedback! It is such a handy little camera and I use it for so many things. If a rank amateur like me can take decent pictures than I feel it's well worth using. But I feel like I have to plan everything around charging batteries! I never hear other people talking about how they wanted to take some pictures but their batteries were run down, or my camera batteries will never last for the whole concert, or I forgot to bring the spare batteries what will I do, blah blah woof woof. :roll:

lukin2006

decides2dream wrote:

vedder_soup wrote:

pearljgirl2010 wrote:

i have a Panasonic Lumix 10x optical and i'm in love with it.

+1

digital zoom takes away from the picture quality, so go for the higher optical zoom.
the luimx is great in low light, without flash as well. good for gig photos



this was from the front row of the 200's about halfway down the floor at MSG - some distance from the stage
no flash

That's a great shot, will look into it myself.


yep...i remember!
and since seeing your pics and discussing cameras, we've bought the same camera and LOVE it.

i had, actually still have it, a sony cybershot. that is an excellent camera as well. it really is the quality lenses that make all the difference, and intuitive features. the panasonic is by far the best point and shoot we've ever owned, and i think we've had at least 5 by now. the sony was my fave up until the lumix. i always read how many are fans of the canon powershot, maybe it's simply b/c we had an earlier model...but i really disliked that camera. i thought the lens was shit, was never happy with the quality of the images. with my sony and now the lumix, one would be hard pressed to distinguish the images from those with an SLR.

whoprincess as far as your battery issues that does seem to occur, in time. your husband is also right. tis the same with most batteries. they need to be used, depleted, recharged. think of it like your body - does it stay in top shape if you rarely use it? or does it improve, stay fit...thru activity? tis the same principle. i too did find with age the sony battery had the same issues as yours. it's also the one digital camera i had/used the longest. in fact, i've owned 2 of the exact same model i loved it so much. however....the lumix i adore now!

iluvcats

i like my broken, outdated camera. It has a zoom lens. I dropped it and the "shutter bug" fell off. we have to stick a tooth pick in it to take a pic, i'm so pissed that i dropped it in a parking lot. mine is a canon PowerShot A610, zoom lense 4x. And they no longer make it, but you could look up what kind of zoom lens it has.